Critical Steps For The First 100 Days - Municipal Mayors-Rev3

6TH
EDITION
2022
CRITICAL STEPS FOR THE
FIRST 100 DAYS

A GUIDE FOR MUNICIPAL MAYORS
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Critical Steps for the First 100 Days: A Guide for Municipal
Mayors
6th Edition
Copyright © 2022
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be retyped,

photocopied, or reproduced in books, pamphlets, or in any
other form for distribution or sale without permission from
the Local Government Academy.
ISBN No. (Print)

ISBN No. (PDF)
Printed and bound in Manila, Philippines
Published by:
Local Government Academy
Department of the Interior and Local Government
2nd, 8th, and 9th Floors, Agustin I Building
F. Ortigas Jr. Road, Ortigas Center
Pasig City 1605, Philippines
Tel. No. (632) 8634-8430 / 8634-8436
https://lga.gov.ph
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CritiCal StepS for the
first 100 days

A Guide for Municipal Mayors
6th Edition
iii
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Message from
the Executive director
First of all, let me extend my warmest congratulations to you!

Winning an election is indeed worth celebrating!
Now that the people have chosen you as their leader, you must
continuously choose to serve them. Public service is an enormous
responsibility that requires passion, skills, and determination, and
we at the Local Government Academy are ready to support you
with programs that will build and strengthen your capacities as
a local leader. Through our program for Newly-Elected Officials,
we continue to provide capacity-building activities that will help
you govern effectively. We have designed activities and resources
that can guide you in creating and implementing plans for a more
competitive, inclusive, and sustainable community.
As such, we are pleased to present the Critical Steps for the First
100 Days: A Guide for Municipal Mayors to you. We hope this will help
you navigate your way through your first days in office. May this
guide not only equip you with useful knowledge in governing your
community better, but also further ignite your passion to be the best
servant-leader for your community.
Dir. Thelma T. Vecina, CESO IV

Executive Director, LGA
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Contents
I Using This Guidebook x
II TRANSITION
Know What Your Position Entails 2
Form the Transition Team 10
Organize Your Office 15
Organize the Executive Body 20
Know your LGU’s Financial Status 23
III MOBILIZATION
Visit All Offices and Facilities and 28
Request an Audit
Review the Status of the EODB-EGSD 31
Act of 2018
Meet Your Official Family 33
Engage the Legislature 36
Meet the Punong Barangay 39
Know the Officers of the National 41
Government Agencies in Your Area
Mobilize CSOs, the Private Sector, and 42
the Media
Reconstitute and Meet the Local 44
Special Bodies
IV PLAN & BUDGET

Plan for Now and Later 57
Take Charge of the Local Budget 64
Spread the Word 67
Take a Break 69
Abbreviations
ADAC Anti-Drug Abuse Council
AFP Armed Forces of the Philippines
AIP Annual Investment Plan
BDRRMC Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Committee
BDRRMP Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Plan
BFP Bureau of Fire Protection
BJMP Bureau of Jail Management and Penology
CC Climate Change
COA Commission On Audit
CoS Chief of Staff
CSO Civil Society Organization
DBM Department of Budget and Management
DepEd Department of Education
DILG Department of the Interior and Local Government
DOF Department of Finance
DRRM Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
DRRMO Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office
DTI Department of Trade and Industry
ELA Executive-Legislative Agenda
EO Executive Order
EOBD Ease of Doing Business
GSO General Services Office
HRMO Human Resources Management Office INGO
IRA Internal Revenue Allotment
JMC Joint Memorandum Circular
LAO Local Agricultural Office
LBO Local Budget Office
LCE Local Chief Executive
LDRRMC Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
Council
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Abbreviations
LCF Local Finance Committee
LGC Local Government Code of 1991
LGU Local Government Unit
LSB Local Special Bodies
LnmB Liga ng mga Barangay
MB Municipal Budget
MDC Municipal Development Council
MDRRMC Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Council
MDRRMO Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Office
MLGOO Municipal Local Government Operations Officer
MO Memorandum Order
MOA Memorandum of Agreement
MPDC Municipal Planning and Development
Coordinator
MScB Municipal School Board
NAPOLCOM National Police Commission
NDRRMC National Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Council
NEDA National Economic and Development Authority
NGA National Government Agency
NGO Non-Government Organization
PLEB People’s Law Enforcement Board
PNP Philippine National Police
PNRC Philippine National Red Cross
PO People’s Organization
POC Peace and Order Council
RA Republic Act
SB Sangguniang Bayan
SEF Special Education Fund
SWMB Solid Waste Management Board
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Critical Steps for the First 100 Days: Municipal Mayors
Using this guidebook
What can you hope to achieve in your first 100 days in office? You
can:
• Initiate the projects and programs that you promised
during the elections;
• Redirect development through an action agenda; and
• Motivate people through a change in culture and
processes.
You will see that these 100 days are mainly for studying the Local
Government Unit (LGU) and applying corrective measures on its
various operations, procedures, policies, and processes. You will
achieve small wins. Major accomplishments, on the other hand,
are still in the offing since most activities are preparatory. As
such, the guidebook is divided into three phases that enable you
to achieve your targets.
The first phase is the Transition. This phase covers the

proclamation period during the end of May, the assumption to
office on July 1, and the initial weeks of the LGU’s operations.
Some activities involve logistics or the establishment of a
functioning Mayor’s Office, administrative supervision over
appointments, and institutionalization of decision-making
processes. Initially, you will need to define the policies, goals,
principles, and programs that you wish to pursue. Aside from
dealing with the administration platform and personnel, you
will also deal with budget and properties. Most importantly, the
transition period is a time for study, data-gathering, and analysis.
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The second phase is Mobilization. This occurs primarily between

July and August. Mobilization is about listening to people to get
their feedback and suggestions; meeting people for networking
and participation; and interacting with people to show that
you are approachable, genuinely concerned, and open-minded.
Your focus will be on generating support from the people and
activating the Local Special Bodies (LSBs), such as Local School
Board (LoSB) and Local Health Board (LHB), among others.
The last phase is Planning and Budgeting, which starts with the
issuance of the Budget Call for the annual budget on or before
July 15 and organization of the Local Development Council (LDC)
until 15 October. Note that the latter is no longer part of the
first 100 days. Here, you will be involved in agenda formulation,
programming, budgeting, and performance documentation.
The last two sections of the guidebook do not fall under these
3 phases, but the Municipal Mayor will benefit in undertaking
these when the first 100 days draw to a close.
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Phase 1
Transition
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Know what your
position entails
By virtue of your success in the elections, you offered your services to

the people and committed to taking on a challenging task. As former
US President Lyndon Johnson, “When the burdens of the presidency
seem unusually heavy, I always remind myself it could be worse. I could
be a mayor.”
As you will learn in your three years in office, being a Municipal Mayor
is no walk in the park. To usher you smoothly into the job, this material
will help you understand your roles and functions as the Local Chief
Executive (LCE).
After which, you will have to figure out ways to effectively deliver these
functions in terms of operations, processes, and outputs. Knowing
these will get you started properly and give you an idea of what your
position entails.
To test how much you know at this stage, let us run through a few
questions:
• What are the specific duties of a Municipal Mayor?

• How much authority do you have?
• What do the voters expect of you now?
• What services are your office expected to deliver?
• How will you identify and address the short and long-term
problems of your community?
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Familiarity with your tasks and deliverables is key to being an

effective Municipal Mayor. In the first place, how are you supposed
to accomplish anything if you do not even know what is expected of
you. Understanding is not enough, because you need to be able to
relate these with local governance principles, such as transparency,
accountability, participation, equity, efficiency, effectiveness, and
development. Any of these principles may be eventually used to define
your leadership.
There is no hard and fast rule as to when the familiarizing period should
begin. Someone who is born to a political family may subconsciously
start as early as childhood. Others do so at a later time when they get
exposed to student government or are serving either in government or
the private sector.
READ, READ, READ
Be sure to acquaint yourself with the pertinent sections of Republic Act

(RA) No. 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991 (LGC), particularly
the provisions that affect municipalities. Care to study Memorandum
Circulars (MCs) issued by National Government Agencies (NGAs),
such as the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG),
Department of Budget and Management (DBM), National Economic
and Development Authority (NEDA), and the Commission On Audit
(COA). Read recent Presidential Directives and legal opinions that are
applicable to your position. Ask your Municipal Local Government
Operations Officer (MLGOO) for guidance on these.
The basic guide for local government officials is the LGC. Chapter 3,
Article 1, Section 444 of Book III outlines the powers, duties, functions,
and compensation of municipal mayors. The Municipal Mayor exercises
control and supervision over all program implementation; enforces law
and ordinances; maximizes resource generation; and ensures basic
service delivery.
Aside from the LGC, there are other publications that highlight
the innovations and best practices pursued across levels of local
governments and recognized by reputable award-giving bodies, such as
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the Galing Pook Awards and the Konrad Adenauer Medal of Excellence.
These publications present the experiences of your fellow Municipal
Mayors who dealt with significant challenges upon assumption to
office, and their triumphs through good governance and innovative
principles and practices. These are meant to inspire you to find
solutions even to the most difficult challenges.
Books and publications on local governance, leadership, administration,

and management are also good learning materials. These are widely
available in bookstores, libraries, and on the internet.
To enhance your capacity to contribute to Climate Change (CC)

adaptation and disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM), read
the following statutes and issuances:
RA No. 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction

and Management (DRMM) Act of 2010
This mandates the establishment of a Disaster Risk Reduction and

Management Office (DRRMO) in every province, city and municipality,
and a Barangay Risk Reduction and Management Committee (BDRRMC)
in every barangay.
Section 11 states that the existing Provincial, City, and Municipal

Disaster Coordinating Councils shall henceforth be known as the
Provincial Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council
(MDRRMC). The Barangay Disaster Coordinating Councils shall cease to
exist and their powers and functions shall henceforth be assumed by
the existing Barangay Development Councils which shall serve as the
Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils (LDRRMCs) in
every barangay.
The LDRRMC shall include but not be limited to the following:
1. LCE -Chairperson;
2. Local Planning and Development Officer (LPDO) -Member;
3. LDRRMO Head -Member;
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4. Local Social Welfare and Development Office (LSWDO) Head -

Member;
5. Local Health Office (LHO) Head -Member;
6. Local Agriculture Office (LAO) Head -Member;
7. Gender and Development Office (GDO) Head -Member;
8. Local Engineering Office (LEO) -Head -Member;
9. Local Veterinary Office (LVO) Head -Member;
10. Local Budget Office (LBO) Head -Member;
11. Division Head/Superintendent of Schools of the Department of
Education (DepED) -Member;
12. Highest-ranking officer of the Armed Forces of the Philippines
(AFP) assigned in the area -Member;
13. Provincial Director/Municipal Chief of the Philippine National
Police (PNP) -Member;
14. Provincial Director/Municipal Fire Marshall of the Bureau of Fire
Protection (BFP) -Member;
15. President of the Liga ng mga Barangays (LnmB), Municipal
Chapter -Member;
16. Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) -Member;
17. Four (4) accredited Civil Society Organizations -Members; and
18. One (1) Private Sector Representative -Member.
The LDRRMCs shall have the following functions:

1. Approve, monitor, and evaluate the implementation of the
Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Plans (LDRRMPs);
regularly review and test the plans in accordance with other
national and local planning programs;
2. Ensure the integration of DRRM and CC adaptation into local
development plans, programs, and budgets as a strategy in
sustainable development and poverty reduction;
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3. Recommend the implementation of forced or preemptive

evacuation of residents, when necessary; and
4. Convene the local council once every three (3) months or as
needed.
R.A. No 9729 or the Climate Change Act of 2009
Turn your attention to Section 14 of the law:
• “The LGUs shall be the frontline agencies in the formulation,

planning, and implementation of CC action plans in their
respective areas…”
• “Barangays shall be directly involved with municipal and city
governments in prioritizing CC issues and in identifying and
implementing best practices and other solutions…”
• “Municipal and city governments shall consider CC adaptation
as one of their regular functions…”
• “Inter-local government unit collaboration shall be maximized in
the conduct of climate-related activities….”
• “The LGUs shall furnish the Commission with copies of their
action plans and all subsequent amendments, modifications,
and revisions thereof, within one (1) month from their adoption…”
• “The LCE shall appoint the person responsible for the
formulation and implementation of the local CC action plan…”
• “The LGU is hereby authorized to appropriate and use the
amount from its Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) necessary to
implement said local plan effectively...”
R.A. No. 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste

Management Act of 2000
Section 12 provides: “Each city or municipality shall form a City or

Municipal Solid Waste Management Board (SWMB) that shall prepare,
submit, and implement a plan for the safe and sanitary management
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of solid waste generated in areas under its geographic and political

coverage.”
“The City or Municipal SWMB shall be composed of the City or

Municipal Mayor as Head with the following as members:
• One (1) representative of the Sangguniang Bayan (SB),

preferably Chairperson of either the Committees on
Environment or Health, who will be designated by the presiding
officer;
• President of the LnmB Municipal Chapter;
• Pambayang Pederasyon ng Sangguniang Kabataan;
• A representative from Non-Government Organizations (NGOs)
whose principal purpose is to promote recycling and the
protection of air and water quality;
• A representative from the recycling industry;
• A representative from the manufacturing or packaging
industry; and
• A representative of each concerned government agency
possessing relevant technical and marketing expertise as may
be determined by the Board.”.
R.A. No. 10831 or the Children’s Emergency Relief and

Protection Act
This mandates the provision of emergency relief and protection for

children before, during, and after disasters and other emergency
situations.
• DILG MC No. 2012-35 dated February 21, 2012 on Disaster

Response Protocols;
• NDRRMC-DBM-DILG Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No.
2013-1 dated March 25, 2013 on the Allocation and Utilization of
the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund;
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• DBM-CCC-DILG JMC No. 2015-01 issued July 2015 on revised

guidelines for tagging/tracking climate change expenditures in
the local budget;
• NDRRMC MC No. 2018-01 dated March 2018 on the adoption
of the Quality Assurance System (QAS) for the Barangay
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan (BDRRMP); and
• NDRRMC MC No. 2017-147 and NDRRMC MC No.2018-13
relating to the formulation of LDRRMP.
ATTEND SHORT COURSES ON LOCAL GOVERNANCE
Short courses offer a wide array of topics related to local governance

which are organized in a condensed or compact manner or cut into
short periods suited to your busy schedule. During your first month
in office, you may consider attending a basic orientation course to
familiarize yourself with the roles and functions of a Municipal Mayor.
You may choose from any of the basic orientation courses offered by
various training institutions, or you may commission a customized basic
orientation course not only for you but also for your select staff who
will join you in the municipal government. The latter option, though, is
more expensive. After your first 100 days in office, you may consider
attending specialized courses in different aspects of local governance
depending on your needs, such as revenue-raising, solid waste
management, and DRRM.
PARTICIPATE IN LAKBAY-ARAL ACTIVITIES
Participating in lakbay-aral activities in municipalities that introduced

innovative and practical solutions to similar problems you are currently
encountering is also instructive of possible approaches you may apply.
The visit affords you to witness firsthand how your fellow mayors
responded to the challenges they faced, hindering factors they had to
prevail over, results of their efforts, and lessons they learned from the
experience. The interaction with the Mayor and his or her other officials
will enable you to find answers to the questions you have in mind,
analyze your problems better, and arrive at the corresponding solution.
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What is just as important in this step is looking for the appropriate sites
to visit. Thus, gathering information about the latter is the first step
before embarking on a lakbay-aral.
BE PARTICULAR IN DEALING OUT YOUR OFFICIAL AND

CEREMONIAL FUNCTIONS
Distinguishing between your official and ceremonial roles will help

you divide your time wisely. You would be bogged down with signing
documents and contracts, approving or vetoing legislation, issuing
Executive Orders (EOs), responding to letters of request, meeting with
citizen groups, cutting ribbons and other such social engagements, and
hiring and appointing personnel.
You will have to juggle all these and still ensure that you meet deadlines
on budget submission, plan preparation, issuance and furnishing of
copies of EOs, vetoing ordinances, program implementation, and the
like. A scheduler in the Mayor’s Office can help you balance all these
engagements. Be sure to accommodate many of the invitations, such as
meeting with Chambers of Commerce and even officiating weddings.
You may even be encouraged to preside over a kasalang bayan. This is
to steer clear of criticism about the government being too far removed
from the people. Also, be sure to learn as much about the people you
are meeting before engaging with them.
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2
Form the transition
team
As a newly elected official, it is best that you ensure a smooth transition

from the old government to your new administration. The basic premise
is that you should be ready to govern by the time you assume office. To
achieve this, the transition team should inform you of the current status
of the local government. It should also be able to give you an analysis
of the locality’s sectoral community concerns, help you organize the
bureaucracy, and help you form your agenda.
IDENTIFY POSSIBLE MEMBERS AND ORGANIZE THE

TEAM
Form your team right after proclamation or within the first two weeks
of June. Three things should not be compromised in your identification
of the members of this team:
1. They should have the expertise you can draw upon.

2. They should have access to information on LGU resources,
development trends, and current processes.
3. They should be able to pool knowledge, make use of their
expertise, and arrive at sound decisions and recommendations.
Who are to be the members then? The following are suggested

members and their specific roles:
• Your prospective administrator or your executive assistant for
management concerns;
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• Legal adviser for policy and legal concerns;

• Trusted financial analysts, who may come from inside or
outside the bureaucracy (budget, treasurer, accountant);
• Municipal engineer for the status of projects; and
• Planning officer for information about the LGU, its plans,
programs, and development directions.
Suggested Composition of the Team
Chairperson - LCE
Vice-Chairperson - to be selected among team
members
Members:
• All Department Heads;
• NGO or People’s Organization (PO) Representative;
It is your option to consider other members of your

campaign/core staff to be a part of the transition
team. You may also choose representatives from the
academe, civil society, and the business sector. You and
the team should decide beforehand how to proceed
with the team’s functions, either working by sectoral
groups or as a body. Expected deliverables of the
transition team are noted in the last section of this
guidebook.
Advisers:
• DILG Representative; and
• CoA Resident Auditor.
GET INFORMATION AND DOCUMENTS
After organizing the team, send an advance party to the LGU by June to
acquire information. Some of the documents you may want to consider
are the budget and financial reports, program and progress reports,
organizational chart and number of employees, planning documents,
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boundary and facility maps, and new ordinances passed. Accessing

information could be easier if some members of the team are from the
LGU.
ANALYZE AND ADVISE
What will the team be analyzing and advising on? Note that the level of
analysis is just initial since it is not conducted in consultation with other
key stakeholders.
1. Evident community needs, issues and concerns
The first thing the transition team should see from the
documents and reports is a situationer on the locality. This will
be useful in reviewing and formulating your agenda.
2. Fiscal status of the LGU
One of the more important areas to look into is the fiscal status
of the government. Without resources, the LGU simply cannot
operate. This is why there is a need for you, as the newly
elected Mayor, to have basic skills in financial management.
Ask your transition team to assist you in reviewing critical
documents such as the statement of income and expenditure
in the last three years, revenue projection, revenue plan and
expenditure projection in the ensuing year, statement of
expenditure in the last six months, expenditures for the next six
months including liabilities and contractual obligations, revenue
generated in the last six months, revenue projection in the next
6 months, and statement of assets.
3. Profile of key players
The transition team should help the Mayor identify sources of
support by sorting out groups and people into allies, fence-
sitters, and opposition. The aim here is not to be vindictive but
to determine the initial level of resistance or acceptance and
craft corresponding strategies on generating support.
4. Personnel inventory and review
Remind the team to get organizational documents, such as
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the organizational chart, personnel inventory, and roster of

employees. They should also observe the work setting to get a
feel of the organizational culture.
No matter what the results of the organizational review might
be, stop yourself from conducting a total reorganization in your
first 100 days both for political and practical reasons. For one,
it is not feasible since this can be done only after consultation
with the Civil Service Commission. Also, it is best not to alienate
the local organization so that you can get their support and
enlighten them about the situation instead of antagonizing
them at the outset.
What can be done is for the transition team to study the staff
competencies parallel with the needs of the organization and
align the two. Little by little, adjust the personnel complement
according to their skills and qualifications. The transition team
can also carry out an evaluative analysis of the personnel
complements of the departments and determine the reasonable
number and classes of positions needed. Consequently, they
can recommend the offices that need to be strengthened and
even the creation of new posts. Streamlining is an option, but
exercise extra caution should be taken in abolishing positions
as this action may not be met with approval at the beginning of
your term.
5. Administration agenda
When you ran for the Mayoralty post, you already had an
agenda in mind. However, it might be optimal to let the
transition team assist you in the formulation of both your
short-term and long-term agenda since they have analyzed the
situation in the locality and can thus verify if your initial agenda
is sound and achievable or not. The team can also help you in
laying out your election promises as the platform for action in
your administration.
6. Preparations for the inaugural ceremony
You will give an inaugural address on June 30. For the activity
to go smoothly, ask one of the members of the transition team
to be the focal person for the event. This is so you will someone
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else can take care of the nitty-gritty aspect of it, which

includes the invitations, venue, and food, among others. Let the
transition team help you in determining the key points of your
inaugural address.
The team may help you in effectively presenting a clear set of
agenda which will be the centerpiece of your governance for
the next three years. This is in addition to the usual contents of
the address, like calling for unity and thanking the electorate.
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3 ORGANIZE YOUR OFFICE
The Office of the Mayor is like a sala or living room in a house. It

is where people are led to whenever they go to the Municipal Hall.
Showing a chaotic or disorderly condition of this office might make
people think that a Mayor who cannot even organize his or her home is
likely incapable of leading an entire municipality.
The Office of the Mayor is an activity hub. Almost daily, it receives

mails, telephone calls, inquiries, requests, policy proposals, lobbyists,
courtesy calls, paperwork, etc. In dealing with all these, the Office must
be organized in such a way that the Mayor can quickly obtain processed
information, make judgments, and implement and enforce decisions
easily.
A Mayor’s typical day is hectic as he or she is attending to different

concerns that do not seem to end. The regular 8-5 office hours are
not enough to finish all your business for the day. As Mayor, you
are expected to be visible in the locality, inspect ongoing projects,
hold public meetings and consultations with your constituents, visit
barangays, and attend public functions, among other things. At
the same time, you are expected to be a manager attending to the
management and administrative matters in the office. Because of the
sheer amount of your work, you need a select group of trusted and
capable men and women who can assist you in fulfilling your job as
Mayor.
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CLARIFY YOUR WORKING STYLE

You must define and communicate your working style. Do you go for
a centralized leadership structure where the flow of information and
decision is hierarchical or more for a decentralized system where you,
as Mayor, can easily be accessed by any of your staff?
Think of it in terms of the functions and decision-making authority you

will bestow on your Chief of Staff (CoS), administrator, or executive
assistant. Furthermore, delineate who will assist and give you advice
on liaison, community relations or constituent services, personnel
appointment, legal advice, correspondence, office management,
scheduling, and speechwriting.
Other questions you might want to ask yourself:

• Do you prefer a big staff complement divided into teams or a
small core staff handling everything?
• How frequent will the meetings and reporting be?
• Are you comfortable in delegating major tasks and decisions, or
are you more inclined to manage even the smallest details?
HIRE PEOPLE FOR YOUR OFFICE
Perhaps not all of the people who helped you get elected are the ones
you need in order to effectively run a municipality. Aside from loyalty,
another criterion you must give weight to in choosing the executive
staff is competency. The skills and positions you must have in the
Mayor’s Office are:
• CoS, also known as Executive Secretary or Head Executive

Assistant whose functions may also be executed by the
Administrator
The need for this position may depend on the size of the
bureaucracy since its primary functions may include but are
not limited to the following: coordinating with the department
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heads; directing the Mayor’s staff and overseeing daily

operations of the office; monitoring office procedures and flow
of documents, including persons responsible; final processing
of information before presentation to the Mayor; supervising
the Mayor’s schedule, communications and correspondence;
providing policy advice; and executing the Mayor’s decisions.
• Communications or Information Officer (IO)
As the focal person for tri-media and public relations, this
person should be able to write or convey the thoughts and
priorities of the Mayor as a leader, manager, and policymaker.
He or she should be able to competently answer queries and
address constituent complaints.
• Legal Counsel/Consultant
In the absence of a municipal legal officer, it is advisable to
hire a lawyer who can commit time for consultation with full
confidentiality.
• Appointments Officer
A Human Resource Officer is an optional position, yet right
after elections, one of the tedious tasks of the Mayor is
accepting or turning down applications for coterminous
positions. Appoint a person who will establish the system of
attracting competent and eligible nominees and identifying
potential employees for the vacancies in the municipality.
There may be no problem in getting applications since many
may want to be hired by the municipal government on account
of their efforts in the recent elections. The more significant
challenge for the Appointments Officer is rejecting many of the
applications tactfully. In this case, the Officer acts like a shock-
absorber for the Mayor. In other cases, you can tap a Personnel
Selection Board.
• Personal Assistants
They will ensure that the Mayor has all the personal effects
(e.g., business suit/formal wear and briefcase) he or she needs;
remind the Mayor about his or her appointments and schedule;
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manage access to the office; receive and relay messages for

and to the Mayor; and make personal arrangements on behalf
of the Mayor.
Other posts have functions that may be merged with the duties
of the abovementioned positions.
• Policy and Department Liaison - functions may already be
taken up by the CoS or Administrator
This person will process sectoral or portfolio information (e.g.,
financial, public service) as input to the priority policies of the
Mayor. He or she will also coordinate department activities.
• Legislative Officer - tasks may be subsumed under the
functions of the Legal Counsel
This Officer will oversee the development of the Mayor’s
legislative agenda, monitor the status of the executive’s priority
legislation, and negotiate matters with the SB.
DEFINE OFFICE PROCEDURES
There should be a clear system of doing things, and the Mayor’s

Office should define these in terms of scheduling, correspondence,
constituent relations, administrative support, and office automation.
• Scheduling
You should set your engagement preferences and establish
guidelines for meetings, social activities, and public
appearances. Your scheduler should list the priority events
on your calendar and should have flexibility in accepting or
rejecting invitations. It may be possible that in some of the
requests, your IO or department heads can attend on your
behalf.
• Correspondence
Ask your CoS to make a procedure for handling letters and
answering these promptly. Remember that R.A. No. 6713 or the
Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials
and Employees requires a response or acknowledgment
within 15 calendar days after receipt of a correspondence.
18
Transition
You may categorize the mails as personal mail, business mail,

issue-oriented mail, complaints mail, invitations/solicitations,
and miscellaneous mail. Direct the mail to the departments
concerned with instructions to draft replies for the Mayor’s
signature or answer on his or her behalf. Be sure that there
is a tracking system to monitor the actions taken on a
correspondence.
• Constituent services
It is important for the Mayor’s Office to interact directly with
the constituents. The Mayor, through the CoS, should monitor
and ensure that responses are prompt. Make sure that the
constituents do not experience a confusing maze of referrals.
At the same time, create a balance between access to the
Mayor and the performance of the duties of the office. Usually,
subjects of constituent visits are requests for aid or projects,
public documents, referrals for employment or hospital
discounts, and invitations to meetings or celebrations. You can
explore other modes of engaging the public, among which are
via toll-free numbers or text messages and airtime in municipal
radio programs.
• Administrative support
This includes answering mail, keeping official records, and
meeting the public. Often, there are permanent administrative
staff in the Mayor’s Office who ensure the continuity of
services and government procedures.
• Office automation
See if there is a need to upgrade the electronic operating
systems and skills of staff not only to improve but also to
expedite the way the office delivers services. If you think that
computerizing or applying new technologies can make the
office function faster, then, by all means, institute the reform.
19
4
ORganize the
executive body
It is common for local government units to exceed the allowed ceiling

for personal services because LGUs employ too many casuals,
contractuals, and job-orders. What is more frustrating is that before
leaving the LGU, some incumbent Municipal Mayors make so-called
midnight appointments of their casuals to permanent positions. What is
left to do then?
Your authority to recruit so-called new blood into the Municipal

Government is limited because the LGC specifies that majority of the
local positions from the level of department heads to the rank-and-file
have security of tenure. This means that they can only be removed for
cause. Only a few coterminous positions and optional positions remain
vacant for new appointments whenever there is a change in leadership.
The LGU may pass an ordinance creating additional positions that
are needed in the operations of the Municipal Government, provided
that the additional personnel services will not cause the municipal
government’s total annual personnel services to exceed the Codal
limit or 45% of the total annual income from regular sources for 1st-
3rd class and 55% for 4th class or lower, and that the SB passes the
enabling ordinance.
Under the LGC, the mandatory positions are the treasurer, assessor,
accountant, budget officer, municipal planning and development
coordinator (MPDC), engineer, health officer, and civil registrar. The
optional posts are agriculturist, social welfare and development
officer, environment and natural resources officer, and architect. The
coterminous optional positions are administrator, legal officer, and IO.
20
Transition
CONDUCT A FINAL REVIEW OF PERSONNEL

APPOINTMENTS AND PERFORMANCE
The transition team has already conducted an initial personnel

inventory and review. What it can do next is to ask from the Human
Resource Office the organizational structure, functional chart, plantilla
positions, list of casuals and job orders and their assignments, office
accomplishment reports, and individual performance evaluation ratings.
From these, the team and the HR Office can draw up a personnel
inventory to determine the total number of personnel, nature of
appointment, vacant positions, number of casuals and job orders, and
position description. The team may identify the coterminous employees
who were performing and not performing. It may recommend the
rehiring of deserving coterminous employees. It may also determine
which vacant positions need to be filled up and which optional or
additional positions may be created. Of course, the possible effects
of having these personnel services need to be assessed in relation
to the total budget of the Municipal Government. Finally, the new
administration must review the accomplishment reports and individual
performance ratings and determine which offices perform well and
which ones need to be monitored closely in the first 100 days.
APPOINT OFFICIALS TO COTERMINOUS AND

CONFIDENTIAL POSITIONS
In your first 100 days, it is very likely that you will introduce new faces
in the bureaucracy who may either be appointed to coterminous
or confidential positions. It is understandable that you will want to
surround yourself with people you trust. Remember though that
competency is still the main consideration so that the people you will
choose can assist you in making the municipal government function
well.
FILL UP VACANCIES OR CREATE OPTIONAL POSITIONS

The local government will have no problem looking for job applicants.
The issue is if it can attract competent and highly qualified people
for the vacancies. Be sure to follow the recruitment and selection
21
process—from advertising of open positions, accepting applications,

interviewing the applicants, and down to deliberating on the selection.
As for those applicants who will not be selected, the Office of the
Mayor, through his or her Appointments Officer, can start a program
that refers the applicants to other institutions in the municipality.
As for the creation of optional positions, you must remember that

the local government must first meet the following conditions: (1)
implementation of the Salary Standardization Law prior to the creation
of positions; (2)prior creation of all mandatory posts; and (3) Compliance
with the 45% and 55% personnel services limit.
To prevent loss of lives due to natural and man-made disasters,

make sure that your municipality has a DRRMO created pursuant
to RA No. 10121. The DRRMO, together with the support staff, has
to be created through a municipal ordinance, as required in the
Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA No. 10121. This Office will
serve as the Secretariat of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Office (MDRRMO). You may want to read the National
Disaster Preparedness Plan (NDPP) Minimum Standards Volume II, and
Operation LISTO Disaster Preparedness Manual for LGUs for reference.
LIMIT THE NUMBER OF CASUAL AND CONTRACTUAL

EMPLOYEES
Be prudent in appointing casual and contractual employees. The

guiding idea is to appoint them as needed, and not to reward them for
political loyalty.
Casual employees are to serve the LGU for less than six months.
Contractual employees serve for around one year, depending on the
nature of the job to be performed. However, what happens is that their
contracts are simply renewed or re-installed continually.
22
5
Know your LGU’s
financial status
How well should you know your municipality’s finances? By this time,
the transition team has already reviewed the financial status of the
LGU. It is essential to understand on your own what the figures in
the documents mean. The transition team may have already given
you information on (1) how much resources are available to finance
your development agenda; (2) the contractual obligations that have
to be settled in the first 100 days of office and beyond that; (3) the
LGU’s income profile vis-à-vis the expenditure profile in the last three
years; and (4) potential revenue enhancement measures that can be
introduced. Are these all you need to know then?
LIST DOWN THE THINGS YOU WOULD LIKE TO KNOW
By making a list of the questions you have on financial matters, you will
be able to identify the basic information and their relevance to your job
as Municipal Mayor. Some of the questions you may wish to add to your
list are:
• What is an audit? Should we get an audit? Why?

• How do we prepare a budget? How does one read and
understand a Municipal Budget (MB)?
• Can funds be moved between line items or budget categories?
• Can we invest our short-term cash balances? How?
• What is cash flow and how should we manage it?
• What is petty cash and how should we handle it?
23
• What are the internal controls needed for cash disbursement?

For payroll?
• What is an internal accounting control system and how can we
make ours effective?
• What financial statements are we required to issue? Monthly?
Quarterly? Annually?
• What are the immediate and long-term effects of grants and
loans?
• How will the municipality handle over-expenditures or under-
expenditures?
• How do we interpret our financial statements?
• What financial reports or documents should we get in order to
have an accurate fiscal picture of the LGU? What should we
look for in the documents and reports? How do these relate to
each other?
IDENTIFY THE KEY PLAYERS IN FINANCE AND THE

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE REPORTS THEY SUBMIT
The last three questions from the preceding list are some of the most
practical, urgent, and critical to ask. But, to whom should you address
these?
If you do not have an external financial analyst, your questions should

be directed to the key players in finance. At the municipal level, they
are the members of the LFC, such as the treasurer, budget officer,
and the MPDC. In some municipalities, the LFC has been expanded to
include the SB Chair for Appropriations and the accountant. Some of
the documents to be requested from these people are shown in the
Fiscal Documents table in the succeeding page.
From these documents, you should be able to determine the overall

fiscal situation and find out whether there is a surplus or a deficit. You
may also wish to request documents that show the income generation
24
Transition
performance of the Treasury, with specific attention to the collection

rate, projection method, major sources of income, and how income is
generated.
Remember that the functions of these three players—Treasurer,

Accountant, and Budget Officer–are linked with one another. In the
simplest sense, purchase requests come from the Budget Office,
which are then sent to the Treasurer for certification of cash
availability, and finally to the Accountant for recording of transactions
through vouchers. You see that though you rely on the Treasurer for
collection, and the Accountant for proper recording, you must also
further strengthen the capacities of the Budget Office because they
will eventually serve as the stopper when the expenses exceed the
resources available.
Though these finance people can be excellent assets to you as a Mayor,

you should never forget that it is still you, the supervising authority, who
is accountable.
Fiscal Documents
DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION
Statement of Shows the annual income, breakdown of expenditures
Operations on personal services, maintenance and other operating
expenses, capital outlay, and net income
Balance Sheet Shows the municipal government equity, assets, and
/ Assets and liabilities
Liabilities
Cash Position Shows availability of cash and is updated on a daily basis
Income and Shows income received versus expenditures disbursed (by
Expenditures July 1, the period covered by the statement is from January
–May 30)
Annual Budget Shows appropriations for the year
Expenses and Shows the amount and percentage of expenses of all
Remaining offices by object
Balance
Cash Flow Shows the cash inflow or collections and cash outflow or
disbursements
25
Phase 2
Mobilization
6
VISIT ALL OFFICES AND
FACILITIES AND REQUEST
AN AUDIT
There can never be a substitute for firsthand observation. By doing this,

you will personally see the working conditions of your employees and
the state of the municipality’s facilities. The LGC states that the Mayor
must ensure the efficient and effective management of supplies and
properties. The DILG issued MC No. 2019-39 which provides guidelines
for a proper turnover after every election year. A ceremonial turnover
of administration is organized. Among the documents prepared for
the turnover is an inventory of LGU properties. However, validation and
determining the condition of these properties is still essential because
there is no clearance that certifies and validates the inventory of
properties and determines their condition.
INSPECT THE MUNICIPAL FACILITIES
On your first day in office and after the flag ceremony, you may want to
visit the different offices of the municipal government. Since it is your
first official working day and you are still trying to establish rapport
with the staff, keep the visit light and friendly. At the same time, you
want to let them know that you mean business on your first day in
office.
The visit will enable you to meet with the staff, greet them, and shake
hands with them. The gesture will show that you want to get to know
the people you will be working with throughout your term. You can use
this opportunity to urge them to put aside partisan politics now that
elections are over and buckle down to work for the development of
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Mobilization
the municipality. You can also assure them that in the meantime and
pending review of their performance, you will not be firing people
and bringing in outsiders to take their place. Furthermore, you can
point out that you value their contribution and opinion, and that you
welcome their feedback and suggestions on how to run the municipal
government better. You can use the visit to check firsthand the working
conditions in the offices, including the utilities and type of equipment
used. You can see for yourself whether or not the office environment
or condition is conducive to work; if repairs and improvements are
needed; if new equipment should be bought; and if new systems and
procedures should be introduced. Your visit will also show your concern
for and interest in improving their working conditions.
Moreover, you can use the visit as a way of validating the status of
government assets as stated in the inventory report so that corrective
measures can be done if the report and observations made during
actual inspection do not match.
The facilities you have to visit and examine, as may be applicable, are
the following:
• Municipal building;
• Markets and slaughterhouse;
• Rainwater collectors and water supply systems;
• Solid waste disposal facilities;
• Health facilities such as clinics, health centers, and Botika ng
Bayan;
• Police and fire stations;
• Elementary and secondary school buildings;
• Municipal jail;
• Public cemetery;
• Public parks;
• Playgrounds and sports facilities;
29
• Communication and transport facilities;

• Cultural centers;
• Tourism facilities and attraction sites; and
• Low-cost housing properties.
REQUEST FOR AN AUDIT
In your visit of the facilities, you may notice discrepancies in the

inventory of assets and the actual facilities. For your peace of mind
and to ensure accountability, it would be wise to request for an audit
from the (COA) in the first month of your term in office. Schedule an
appointment with the Auditor to brief you on the things that you should
know from the reports. Usually, COA findings highlight the unliquidated
cash advances and obligations of the previous administration, so learn
more about these. You may also wish to explore if there are issues on
the turnover of physical and electronic records.
30
7
REVIEW THE STATUS OF
THE EODB-EGSD ACT
OF 2018
By the time you assume your post as Mayor, the implementation of the
Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007 should already be in place. However, you
should take note that a new law has been passed which expanded the
coverage of RA No. 9485 or the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007.
RA No. 11032, the Ease of Doing Business (EOBD) and Efficient

Government Service Delivery Act of 2018, is based on the declared
policy of the State to promote integrity, accountability, proper
management of public affairs and public property, as well as establish
effective practices for the efficient delivery of government services
and the prevention of graft and corruption. It applies to all government
offices, including LGUs and Government-Owned and Controlled
Corporations located in the Philippines or abroad that provide business
and non-business related transactions and government services.
It directs government offices and LGUs to review existing policies
and operations in accordance with the new law and undertake
reengineering of systems and procedures if needed.
It is, therefore, ideal to check the status of implementation of the EODB

law by setting up a meeting with the Task Force, if any, or the staff in
charge thereof. Check with them the following:
• Posting and dissemination of current and updated Citizen’s
Charter which should have the following information: (1)
checklist of requirements for each type of application or
request; (2) procedure to obtain the particular service; (3)
maximum time to conclude the process; (4) document/s to be
presented by the applicant or requesting party, if necessary;
31
(5) amount of fees, if necessary; and (6) procedure for filing

complaints;
• If procedures for the issuance of business licenses, clearances,
permits, certifications or authorization are already streamlined
according to EODB guidelines which includes the following
(Section 11):
› Use of single or unified business application form, which
should also be made available online;
› Establishment of a one-stop business facilitation service
also known as the business one-stop shop;
› Automation of business permitting and licensing system
› Setting the validity of business permits for a period of one
year; and
› Application, issuance, and collection of barangay
clearances and permits related to doing business are all
done in the municipality.
• If processing time for requested services is already within the
standards set by the EODB law, i.e., three (3) working days in
the case of simple transactions and seven (7) working days in
the case of complex transactions;
• If the province already implements a zero-contact policy; and
• Existence of a feedback mechanism which may be used to
improve LGU processes.
Based on the result of the consultation with the task force as well as on
the information, comments, and suggestions from the LGU’s clientele,
you may now be able to determine how to improve the systems and
processes in your municipality. Discuss with the task force how to go
about the process. Request information from the MLGOO regarding
technical assistance being provided by the DILG and other NGAs.
32
8
Meet your official
family
You are the official and ceremonial leader of the municipal government,
and its employees are your official family members. The employees
expect that you will provide a favorable working atmosphere and
opportunities for growth. These may come in the form of training,
promotion, installation of systems and procedures, and rewards and
incentives systems. But these expectations are all assumptions until
you meet them.
As their leader, you must exert an effort to get to know them, ease their
worries about their jobs, or introduce a reorganization proposal. But on
your first day in office, the agenda is to meet the department heads
individually and then as a group. Afterwards, hold a general assembly.
The department heads compose your executive team, which is

responsible for the delivery of basic services. Holding a series
of meetings with them serves a number of purposes: (1) establish
rapport with them; (2) get their cooperation; (3) learn the services,
accomplishments, issues, concerns and recommendations of each
department; (4) discuss your development agenda and how this can
be integrated in their functions; (5) explain your management style; (6)
monitor the departments’ performance; and (7) set interdepartmental
cooperation on cross-cutting services.
As discussed in the earlier section, a vast majority of the department

heads are carryovers from previous administrations. Hence, any
incoming municipal mayor has no choice but to work with the existing
department heads. It is advisable that by noon on the regular flag-
raising ceremony on Mondays, you meet briefly with the Department
33
Heads, Chief of Police, BJMP, BFP, and the MLGOO for follow-up of
pending matters and to give policy directions for the week.
It is good to invest some of your time to know the municipal employees

and their jobs. Municipal employees can be powerful allies or, when
alienated, may start problems.
RECOMMENDED COURSES OF ACTIONS
1. On the first day of office, you may host a lunch with the
department heads to lighten the mood and start establishing
rapport with them.
2. Meet with the department heads individually to discuss their
accomplishments in the last three years, problems encountered,
recommendations, and future directions.
3. Ask the department heads, through a Memorandum Order
(MO), to submit a written report on their departments’
accomplishments in the last three years, issues and concerns
encountered, recommendations. and future directions. Ask
also for a written report on the functions of the department;
functions of the department head and staff; inventory of
personnel appointments, including casuals and job orders; and
inventory of equipment and assets assigned to the department.
4. Ask your core team to process the information contained in the
written report and prepare an analysis and summary report.
5. After the submission of the summary report, call a meeting
of department heads to discuss the contents of the report.
In the same meeting, reiterate your development agenda
and proposed strategies. Facilitate a discussion among the
department heads on how your development agenda can be
adopted as a common municipal development agenda. After
34
Mobilization
the discussion, ask for their cooperation in pursuing the

common development agenda. By discussing with them, you are
stating that you consider them part of your team and value their
contribution.
6. In the department heads meeting, reiterate your management
style related to communication flow, direction-setting,
performance monitoring, and decision-making so that they are
guided in the performance of their function.
7. Agree on a regular department heads’ meeting.
35
9
Engage with the
legislature
Like any other key stakeholder, the Vice-Mayor and SB members can
be your allies or sources of resistance. Achieving the first would not
only be better for you; it will also be for the best interest of the local
government.
Under the LGC, the executive and legislative branches have specific
functions. The executive branch takes charge of the management and
actual operations of the Municipal Government, while the legislative
branch provides the enabling legislation. Without sacrificing the
principle of checks and balances, these two branches need to
cooperate to be able to govern the Municipal Government efficiently
and effectively. A supportive and cooperative SB will easily pass the
priority bills needed to raise revenues and provide services. Conversely,
if the executive and legislative relations are not handled properly,
the ill feelings between them can adversely affect the operations
of the Municipal Government and, consequently, the welfare of the
people. While it is correct to say that there is separation of powers and
functions between the Mayor and the SB, the best philosophy, for the
common good, is still the complementation of powers.
Often, the main source of conflict between the executive and the
legislative officials is the unclear definition of roles and expectations.
Some LGUs opt for a compromise where the Mayor grants Sanggunian
members program management responsibilities. It is best for you as
Mayor not to ignore the local policymaking body and come up with
acceptable working arrangements with them instead of dragging
the conflict longer. You should meet with them regularly. One way
of harmonizing your agenda with theirs, which also happens to be
a perfect start for a good working relationship, is to formulate an
36
Mobilization
Executive-Legislative Agenda (ELA). Another way is to agree on the

rules of engagement or interaction. Do not be content with merely
complying with the mandates given by the LGC, such as addressing the
Sanggunian and presenting your program and priority policies at the
opening of their regular session. Go out of your way to meet with them,
both formally and informally. It is also advisable to set two or three days
of meetings with the SB for ELA formulation. You can tap the MLGOO
to assist you.
RECOMMENDED COURSES OF ACTION
Preparatory Activities
1. Ask your team and legal consultant to review the existing
policies that are applicable to the municipality, both local and
national. Find policy support for your thrusts and direction.
2. Finalize the thrusts and direction of your administration and
present this enhanced platform during the ELA formulation.
3. Strategize beforehand. Think of the areas where you may have
to compromise given your knowledge of the Sanggunian and its
members. Make sure that CC adaptation, DRRM, and peace and
order form part of the ELA.
ELA Preparation
1. Seek the assistance of the MLGOOin the formulation of the
ELA.
2. Request the MLGOO to convene the representatives of the
executive and legislative branches to a workshop to thresh out
their own development agenda, integrate both development
agenda, and map out the implementation of the integrated
development agenda throughout the three-year term. It is
advisable to hold the workshop outside of the municipality so
that the participants can concentrate on drafting the ELA.
3. Assign a secretariat, preferably the MPDC’s Office, to prepare
the draft ELA and to submit such to you for approval and to the
SB for adoption via a resolution.
37
Executive-Legislative Engagement
1. Discuss with the SB the mechanism for executive-legislative
interaction and establish rules of engagement with them.
2. Ask the MPDC’s Office to prepare the draft rules of
engagement. The draft will be submitted to both the executive
and legislative branches for their review, modification, approval,
and adoption. If possible, include regular informal meetings
and caucuses with the SB Members as part of the rules of
engagement so that they would not misconstrue your initiative
to meet with them informally as an arm-twisting activity to
influence the body. Both the executive and legislative branches
should each assign a staff member to serve as a liaison
between them.
38
10
MEET THE PUNONG
BARANGAY
You are mandated by the Code to exercise general supervision of the

barangay and its officials. According to Section 38, par. 2 of EO No.
292 or the Administrative Code of 1987, supervision “shall be limited
to the authority . . . to oversee the operations of such agencies and to
insure that they are managed effectively, efficiently and economically
but without interference with day-to-day activities . . . .” The basic
requirement in meeting this though is a visit at least once every
six months in all the barangays. The Punong Barangay and the SB
Members are the first sets of officials that people generally go to
for assistance. As such, they have a direct link with the people and
genuinely know their problems and aspirations. Regularly visiting
barangays will thus help you develop a deeper understanding of the
issues and conditions of your constituents.
Aside from getting to know the officials and calling for their
cooperation, meeting them will enable you to: (1) understand better the
operations, challenges and development direction of the barangays; (2)
present your development agenda;
(3) find ways to bring the government closer to the people; (4) gain
access to or connect with the people; and 5) discuss projects that may
be jointly undertaken by the barangay and the municipality in order to
maximize each other’s resources.
The barangays play a crucial role in CC adaptation and DRRM. Do

take time to discuss with them how they can be active partners of the
municipal government in preventing loss of lives when disaster strikes.
Similarly, barangays also have a critical role in the maintenance of

peace and order and security of the municipality. Try to get their
support on this during your meetings.
39
RECOMMENDED COURSE OF ACTION
1. Ask each barangay to provide a briefing on its functions,

accomplishments, issues and concerns, recommendations, and
future directions.
2. Present your development agenda and ask for the barangays’
suggestions for possible collaboration.
3. Discuss possible ways in which the municipal government and
barangay can work together to achieve common development
goals.
4. Agree on a regular barangay visitation schedule and tentative
agenda and activities during the visit.
5. Explain the systems and procedures that were adopted in
responding to the request for projects, emergency assistance
for constituents, and follow-up on earlier requests, among
others.
6. Identify a point person or coordinator in your office or in the
municipal government who will take charge of barangay-related
concerns.
7. Actively work to make barangays disaster resilient. Ask
barangay officials about their existing development plans,
specifically BDRRMP. In coordination with the City DRRMO,
organize the LDRRMP Review Team of your city pursuant
to NDRRMC MC Nos. 2017-147 and 2018-13. Instruct them to
discuss with the BDRRMC the QAS for BDRRMP. The QAS
establishes and strengthens the capacities of communities
to anticipate, cope, and recover from the negative impacts of
emergency occurrences and disasters at the local level through
quality-based local DRRM planning and budgeting.
40
11
KNOW THE OFFICERS OF
NATIONAL GOVERNMENT
AGENCIES IN YOUR AREA
Most NGAs have local offices, and local government units can tap the
expertise and technical know-how of these people. You may choose to
meet with their officials or request from them documents on various
programs.
Of more relevance to municipalities though is knowing the officials who

are implementing projects in your area. The national government, more
often than not, is implementing projects in cooperation with the LGUs.
As a newly elected Mayor, it would be wise if you take the initiative
to meet these people to talk about their programs and projects in
the municipality, the problems they have so far encountered, and
areas where you may provide support as the Mayor. Some of these
officials may come from the Department of Agriculture, Department
of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Health, and
Department of Social Welfare and Development.
During your first 100 days, there may be the possibility of calamities or
disasters in your area since July to October are rainy months. Do take
time to find out what you can and should do before, during, and after a
disaster.
Convene the MDRRMC. Meet with the vice-chair, members, and action
officer of the council, and discuss with them your role and of the
members in DRRM as stated in RA No. 10121, Operation LISTO: Disaster
Preparedness Manual, and NDPP Minimum Standards Volume II.
41
12 MOBILIZE CSOs, The PRIVATE
SECTOR, AND THE MEDIA
You may have noticed by now that most of your activities in the
mobilization phase require you to meet people from various walks of
life. CSOs, the business sector, and the media will play a vital part in
your success as a development manager of the locality.
CSOs, which include NGOs and POs, are prime movers of good
governance. They tend to create an alternative development agenda
and often act as fiscalizers of government actions. Composed of
organized groups, their voices and opinions are listened to and may
affect the public’s perception of the state of your leadership and
governance. At times, criticism stems from a lack of understanding of
your development agenda because this was not communicated well
at the beginning. These organizations expect you to provide a more
democratic space in local government processes, such as planning,
project implementation, and monitoring.
The business sector, on the other hand, is the major income source
of the municipality. Thus, it is regarded as the engine of growth. This
sector is responsible for the commercial trade of goods and services,
employment opportunities, and urbanization. They expect that you
will be able to head an LGU that facilitates and promotes a favorable
climate for economic growth.
The business sector can also be your partner in the implementation of

your programs. Many businesses have projects geared on improving
the living conditions of the people where they operate as part of their
Corporate Social Responsibility program.
42
Mobilization
Lastly, the media as a public information provider can be critical of the

public service delivery, transparency, and accountability aspects of
the local government. Together with the CSOs, they seek information
and data from the local government to cull out the issues and concerns
facing the locality.
On the bright side, the media can also be your best partner in letting
your constituents know about your development agenda and your
accomplishments. It is therefore important to establish good rapport
with national, regional, and local media.
You should maintain a proper perspective about these groups and view
them as partners who can assist you in promoting the development
of the municipality. Meeting with them will enable you to (1) explain
your development agenda especially as it relates to their interests;
(2) interact with them concerning their views about development and
priority areas; (3) integrate their suggestions in your development
agenda; and (4) identify possible areas of cooperation and collaborative
undertakings. Establishing a constructive working relationship with
these groups will enable you to focus on your work rather than spend
so much time deflecting the criticisms they hurl at your every move.
1. Assign a point person or coordinator to organize a meeting with

these groups or their representatives.
2. Present your development agenda.
3. Assign a facilitator to manage the exchange of views and
opinions about the development priorities.
4. Assign a point person or coordinator who will liaise between
you and the CSOs, business people, and the media.
5. Identify a mechanism for interaction between you and the
CSOs, the private sector, and the media.
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13
RECONSTITUTE AND
MEET THE LOCAL
SPECIAL BODIES
Going through the Local Government Code, you will see that there are
four major LSBs you have to reconstitute: Peace and Order Council
(POC) LoSB, LHB, and LDC.
18 years after the implementation of LGC, numerous MCs and orders

calling for the creation of special bodies for various concerns were
issued. Some of these are the Ecological and Solid Waste Management
Board, Tourism Council, Small and Medium Enterprise Development
Council, Price Coordinating Council, Council for Culture and the Arts,
Physical Fitness and Sports Development Council, Anti-Drug Abuse
Council (ADAC), and Local Council for Women. Given this lineup, the
task is quite daunting and as a newly-elected Mayor, you should, for
now, focus only on the major LSBs. More than that, all the other bodies
and councils arising from administrative issuances are primarily
sectoral.
Your role is to reconstitute the four major LSBs as mandated by LGC

and see to it that these are functioning in accordance with the law. The
LSBs are the avenues for people’s participation in certain aspects of
local governance. If participatory governance is harnessed properly,
the LSBs can serve as your capable partners in the delivery of basic
services, linking up with the people, mobilizing support from them, and
letting them know that your government is working for their benefit
and welfare. Hence, reconstituting the LSBs extends beyond complying
with the legal mandate and promotes a higher goal– a climate in which
the government and the people are working together for a transparent,
accountable, and effective leadership.
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Mobilization
Aside from the four major LSBs mentioned in the Code, the
municipalities are also advised to give priority to the organization of
the MDRRMC and the local ADAC. MDRRMC is mandated to identify,
plan, implement, monitor, and evaluate risk-based programs, projects,
and activities concerning CC adaptation and DRRM. ADAC, on the other
hand, has a critical role in the coordination and proper monitoring
of drug-related incidents, as well as identification of programs and
projects that will help eradicate the illegal drug problem in their locality.
Take note that the use of illegal drugs was viewed by the outgoing
administration as a major hindrance to development of the community.
1. One of your initial legislative initiatives is to coordinate

directly with the Vice-Mayor and the SB Members and jointly
organize the accreditation process of CSOs. You may also
seek the assistance of the MLGOO or direct your Administrator
or liaison officer to the SB to talk to the latter about organizing
the accreditation process.
2. After the accreditation period, ask the MPDC to call for an
organizational meeting with the accredited CSOs. During the
meeting, they may select their representatives to the different
LSBs.
3. After the LSBs are organized, issue an EO to the department
heads to hold the first meeting with their respective LSBs
so that they can start formulating their sectoral development
agenda. Appoint focal persons for the LSBs when such have
not yet been assigned.
4. Make time to attend the first few meetings of the LSBs to be
able to communicate with them your development agenda.
Your attendance will also show your interest in their role in
your governance. Direct the department heads to coordinate
with your appointments secretary so that you can attend
the initial meetings. When you are certain that the LSBs are
properly settled, you may choose to attend only the essential
meetings and delegate to your co-chairman or department
head sitting in the LSBs the task of acting as presiding officer.
45
If possible, attend LSB meetings where you are the designated

chairperson. Be sure to participate in the meetings on budget
deliberation.
5. Familiarize yourself with the composition and structure of
your LGU’s POC.
You can start by studying the following legal issuances:
• EO No. 309 dated November 11, 1987 which provides for the
reorganization of the POC at the national, provincial, city,
and municipal levels;
• It specifies the members, functions, and duties of the POCs.
Section 116 of the LGC adopted and institutionalized this
structure at the local level; and
• EO Nos. 317 and 320, s. 1988; EO No. 20, s. 1991; EO No. 366,
s. 1996; and EO No. 773, s. 2009 amending EO No. 309.
To help you better understand the evolution of the POC, you may want
to read DILG MC No. 2008-114. Aside from describing the amendments
concerning the composition and functions of the POC, this issuance
also directed the creation of the Barangay POCs nationwide. These are
the implementing arms of the Municipal and City POCs.
6. Meet with your Chief-of-Police and your punong barangay,

and request for a briefing on the peace and order situation in
the LGU.
From the punong barangay, you can get first-hand information
on whether or not his or her barangay’s POC has already been
created and is functioning. From the Chief-of-Police, you
can get a general picture of the peace and order situation
of the LGU. This dialogue can also be used as a venue for
building or enhancing the partnership between the police
and the barangay or community in addressing peace and
security concerns. You must remember that per Sec. 64 of
RA No. 6975 as amended by R.A. 8551, you are the deputized
representative of National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) in
your municipality. As such, you exercise operational control and
supervision over the local PNP.
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Mobilization
7. Convene the POC of your LGU and discuss peace and order
and public safety plans and programs.
Allot at least one day to meet with the POC of the LGU. This is
an opportunity for team-building as well as a venue to draw out
plans and programs designed to improve peace and order and
public safety in your municipality. In this forum, it is crucial to
get their commitment in peacebuilding and delineate the roles
and responsibilities of each member. On your part, give them
assurance that resources will be generated and allocated for
the plans and programs they have formulated. Furthermore,
emphasize the need for a regular consultation or meeting with
them to keep the POC actively functioning at all times.
Familiarize yourself with one of the national government’s
priorities and recent issuances, EO No. 70 on Institutionalizing
the Whole-of-Nation Approach in Attaining Inclusive and
Sustainable Peace, Creating a National Task Force to End Local
Communist Armed Conflict, and Directing the Adoption of a
National Peace Framework. You may also request the MLGOO
to orient the municipal POC on the EO’s salient provisions.
Remember that sound peace and order and public safety
policies are also key to the progress of your municipality.
LOCAL SPECIAL BODIES UNDER THE LOCAL

GOVERNMENT CODE
1. Local School Board

(Sections 98-101 of LGC)
Meetings at least once a month or as often as necessary
Functions
• Prepare the annual school board budget based on the Special
Education Fund (SEF);
• Authorize the municipal treasurer to disburse funds from the
SEF;
• Serve as an advisory committee to the Sanggunian on matters
relating to education; and
47
• Recommend changes to the names of public schools within the

municipality for enactment of the Sanggunian concerned.
Composition
Co-Chairpersons
1. Mayor;
2. District Supervisor of school members;
3. SB Chair on Education Committee;
4. Municipal Treasurer;
5. SK Chairperson;
6. Elected President of the Municipal Federation of Parent-
Teacher Associations;
7. Elected representative of the teachers’ organizations in the
municipality; and
8. Elected representative of the non-academic personnel of public
schools in the municipality.
2. Local Health Board

Meetings at least once a month or as often as necessary
Functions
• Propose to the Sanggunian the annual budgetary allocations
for the Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses of health
facilities and services;
• Serve as an advisory body to the Sanggunian on matters of
public health; and
• Create committees which shall advise local health agencies on
matters such as personnel selection and promotion, bids and
awards, grievance and complaints, personnel discipline, budget
review, operations review and similar functions.
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Mobilization
Composition
Chairperson
1. Mayor;
Vice-Chairperson
2. Municipal Health Officer;
Members
3. SB Chair on Committee on Health;
4. Representative from the private sector or NGOs involved in
health services; and
5. Representative of the DOH in the municipality.
3. Local Development Council

Meetings at least once every six months or as often as necessary
Functions
1. Formulate long-term, medium-term and annual socio-economic
development plans and policies;
2. Formulate medium-term and annual public investment
programs;
3. Appraise and prioritize socio-economic development programs
and projects;
4. Formulate local investment incentives to promote the inflow
and direction of private investment capital; and
5. Coordinate, monitor, and evaluate the implementation of
development programs and projects.
Composition
Chairperson
1. Mayor;
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Members
2. All Punong Barangays in the municipality;
3. SB Chair of Committee on Appropriations;
4. Congressperson;
5. or his or her representative;
6. Representatives of the NGOs in the municipality;
7. who shall constitute not less than one-fourth (1/4); and
8. of the fully organized council.
4. Local Peace and Order Council

(EO No. 739, dated August 19, 2008)
Functions
• Provide a forum for dialogue and deliberation of major issues
and problems affecting peace and order, including insurgency;
• Recommend measures which will improve or enhance peace
and order and public safety;
• Initiate and/or oversee the convergence and the orchestration
of internal security operations efforts of civil authorities and
agencies, military, and police;
• Apply moral suasion to and/or recommend sanctions against
LCEs who are giving material and political support to the
Communist rebels;
• Monitor the provision of livelihood and infrastructure
development programs and projects in the remote rural and
indigenous population areas adopted to isolate them from the
Communist rebels; and
• Perform all other functions assigned by law, the President or
the NPOC.
Compostion
Chairperson
1. Mayor;
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Mobilization
Vice Chairperson
2. Vice Mayor;
Members
3. SB Representative;
4. 3 private sector representatives (academic, civic, religious,
youth, labor, legal, business, and media);
5. Representative from the veterans group;
6. Representatives of NGAs (from field offices or deputized
representatives;
7. of agencies e.g. MLGOO, MSWDO, Department of Public Works
and Highways, Department of Trade and Industry, Department
of National Defense, Department Of Justice, NAPOLCOM; and
8. National Bureau of Investigation, etc.
5. People’s Law Enforcement Board (PLEB)

(RA No. 6975 and RA No. 8551)
Functions
• Serve as an investigating body to hear and decide citizen’s
complaints and administrative cases against erring uniformed
PNP personnel; and
• Each case shall be decided within sixty (60) days from the time
the case was filed with the PLEB.
Composition
Chairperson, elected from among the members
Members
1. SB representative;
2. Representative of Punong Barangays; and
3. 3 representatives chosen by local POC members from among
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members of the community, one of whom is a lawyer or if not

available, a college graduate or principal of the central school.
6. Local Finance Committee

(Section 316 of LGC)
Functions
• Determine income projection for next year;
• Recommend appropriate tax and revenue measures or
borrowings;
• Recommend the level of annual expenditures and ceilings
based on the approved municipal development plan;
• Recommend the proper allocation of expenditures for each
development activity between current operating expenditures
and capital outlay;
• Recommend the amount to be allocated for capital outlay
under each development activity or project; and
• Conduct semi-annual review and general examination of cost
and accomplishments against performance standards applied
in undertaking in undertaking.
Composition
Chairperson
1. Municipal Planning and Development coordinator;
2. Municipal Treasurer; and
3. MB Officer.
7. Bids and Awards Committee

(RA No. 9184 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations)
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Mobilization
Functions
• Advertise and/or post the invitation to bid/request for
expressions of interest;
• Conduct pre-procurement and pre-bid conferences;
• Determine the eligibility of prospective bidders;
• Receive and open bids;
• Conduct the evaluation of bids;
• Resolve requests for reconsideration;
• Recommend award of contracts to the Head of Procuring
Entity;
• Recommend the imposition of sanctions;
• Recommend to the Head of Procuring Entity the use of
Alternative Methods of Procurement;
• Conduct any of the Alternative Methods of Procurement;
• Conduct periodic assessment of the procurement processes
and procedures to streamline procurement activities; and
• Perform such other related functions as may be necessary,
including the creation of a Technical Working Group from a
pool of technical, financial, and/ or legal experts to assist the
Committee.
Composition
Shall have at least 5 but not more than 7 members:
1 representative from each of the regular office under Office

of the Mayor (from the Administrator’s Office, Budget
Department, Engineering Department, General Services Office,
and Municipal Planning and Development Office);
Observers from COA, an NGO, or private sector can be invited;

and
End user office shall always be represented.
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8. Municipal Board of Assessment Appeals

(Section 227 of LGC)
Receive and act on petitions filed under oath on appeals over the action
of the Municipal Assessor in the assessment of property
Composition
Chairperson
1. Registrar of Deeds Members / Alternative Chairman;
2. Municipal Legal Officer or Consultant; and
3. Municipal Engineer.
9. Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management

Committee
(R.A. 10121 and its IRR)
Functions
• Approve, monitor, and evaluate the implementation of the
LDRRMPs and regularly review and test the plan consistent
with other national and local planning programs;
• Ensure the integration of DRRM and CC adaptation into local
development plans, programs, and budgets as a strategy in
sustainable development and poverty reduction;
• Recommend the implementation of forced or preemptive
evacuation of local residents, if necessary; and
• Convene the local council once every three (3) months or as
necessary.
Composition
The LDRRMC shall be composed of, but not limited to, the following
Chairperson: Local Chief Executives
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Mobilization
Members:
1. Local Planning and Development Officer;
2. LDRRMO Head;
3. LSWDO Head;
4. LHO Head;
5. LAO Head;
6. GDO Head;
7. LEO Head;
8. LnmB President;
9. LVO Head;
10. LBO Head;
11. The Division Head/ Superintendent of Schools of the DepED;
12. Highest-ranking officer of the Armed Forces of the Philippines
(AFP) assigned in the area;
13. Provincial Director/City/ Municipal Chief of PNP;
14. The Provincial Director/City/ Municipal Fire Marshall of BFP;
15. PNRC;
16. Four (4) accredited CSOs; and
17. One (1) private sector representative.
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Phase 3
Plan and
Budget
14
Plan the agenda
for your locality
In your first few months, it may seem that you are viewed by the public
using a specialized lens that sees all your actions. How can you impress
them by showing them that you can get things done? How can you
effectively work on the present and plan for the future at the same
time? You do this by setting targets in your short-term and long-term
agenda.
MAKE YOUR SHORT-TERM AGENDA
When you assume office, half of the year is gone, and you have no idea
what happened in those first six months. The municipal government you
have taken on is using the plan of the previous administration for its
programs and services. Given the demands to prepare the budget, meet
people, and install corrective measures in the LGU, it is just not feasible
to come up with new plans on such short notice. What can you do then?
1. Review the status of projects being implemented and

troubleshoot, if necessary
Reviewing the status of the AIP implementation will enable you to find
out which projects indicated in the AIP are (1) implemented following
the schedule and requirements on cost and quality; (2) ongoing/
continuing and following the approved design; (3) delayed; and (4)
scheduled for implementation in the second half of the year. While
the AIP was formulated before your term, its completion by the end
of the year will be seen by the people as your responsibility. Since
it is your first year in office, your constituents will look at it as a test
of your ability to govern. Projects that are implemented effectively
57
and completed successfully will be credited to your competent

management. Conversely, if the projects are experiencing delays
or if services and equipment paid by public funds are perceived
as overpriced and substandard, you will be criticized as weak and
incompetent.
In conducting the review, you can:

a. Issue a MO calling all department heads to submit monitoring
and accomplishment reports about the AIP projects under their
jurisdiction;
b. Direct the Office of the MPDC to process the information
contained in the reports and prepare a summary report;
c. For delayed projects, discuss with the department concerned
and MPDC the reasons for the delay and the corrective
measures that can be introduced; and
d. For projects earmarked for the second half of the year, discuss
the mechanisms to be adopted to ensure implementation
according to the approved plan.
5. Understand the concept of competitiveness and how it

can be measured.
How a nation manages the totality of its resources and
competencies to increase the prosperity of its people is referred to
as “competitiveness” by the International Institute for Management
Development in its World Competitiveness Yearbook for the year 2008.
This definition or concept of competitiveness can also be applied
in local government. How do we know if an LGU is competitive?
In the Philippines, the Asian Institute of Management, in its 2007
Philippine Cities Competitive Project publication, identified indicators
of competitiveness for cities and municipalities. The indicators are
grouped into different categories called “drivers,” which are as follows:
• Cost of doing business;
• Dynamism of local economy;
• Infrastructure;
• Human resources and training;
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Plan and Budget
• Responsiveness of LGUs to business needs; and

• Quality of life.
Under the cost of doing business category, there are 4 indicators:

(1) time to renew business permit; (2) process and procedure of
the city government for obtaining or renewing business permit; (3)
effectiveness of the one-stop-shop set up by the city, and (4) existence
of informal fees (e.g., bribes, fees paid to fixers, or tips given to
government officials). In addition to these indicators, the cost of
electricity and the cost of water are also considered in measuring the
municipality’s competitiveness.
Dynamism of local economy

There are three indicators under this category: (1) firm’s growth and
performance; (2) access to financing; and (3) voice in LGUs.
To arrive at the determination of number (1), the following factors are

taken into account: (a) comparative revenue performance of the firm
for two consecutive years (e.g., 2008 vs. 2009); and (b) number of
registered businesses for the same period.
The factors under number (2) are the following: number of universal/
commercial banks and access to commercial/government/rural banks
and non-bank financing institutions.
The factor for number (3) is membership in local business chamber/

socio-civic/business groups.
Human resources and training

The criteria are as follows: (1) overall quality of present workers; (2)
availability of qualified job applicants; (3) and skills enhancement
programs for the unemployed or job seekers, which are implemented by
the LGU.
Infrastructure
This refers to the physical infrastructure and facilities obtained in your
LGU. The indicators used to measure the LGU’s competitiveness under
this category are: (1) average travel time to reach the nearest airport or
59
seaport from your office; (2) overall management of transport services;

(3) overall reliability of water, electricity, telephone, and internet
services; and (4) city government ’s management of environmental
services.
Responsiveness of LGUs to business needs

The indicators in this area pertain to the competencies or strengths
of the municipal government. These are (1) performance of the city
government in promoting local businesses outside the municipality;
(2) performance of the municipal government in the provision of
investment incentives; (3) transparency of the municipal government
in its dealings; (4) performance of the municipal government in
the simplification and streamlining of business procedures; (5)
performance of the municipal government in crafting new legislation
responsive to new business needs; (6) leadership of the Municipal
Mayor in responding to the needs of investors; and (7) performance of
the municipal government in responding to the needs of investors.
Quality of life
The physical environment, peace and order situation, and health
facilities of the municipality are the subject of measurement for
quality of life. Indicators for the quality of life in the city are: (1) rest
and recreation facilities; (2)overall cleanliness of the city; (3) total crime
solution efficiency; (4) percentage of population with access to potable
water; and (5) number of hospital beds per 100,000 people and doctors
per 100,000 people.
6. Using the competitiveness indicators, assess how your

municipality is faring.
Ask whether or not your municipality can be considered competitive.
Together with your employees, assess the municipality’s
competitiveness. Does the municipality have the basic infrastructure
or facilities that can attract investments or make current investors
stay in your LGU? Does your municipality have the basic competency
requirements for businesses? For instance, have you streamlined your
business permit and licensing processes? Are your processes investor-
friendly? Do you have an Investment Code? These are some of the
considerations when gauging your municipality’s competitiveness.
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Plan and Budget
7. Understand the concept of climate change and disaster

resilience and what you must do in your first 100 days.
Disaster risks and climate change pose serious threats to the local
economy and safety of the community. Local development frameworks,
such as the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 and National
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Framework, steer the country
towards ensuring a safer, adaptive, and disaster resilient communities
towards sustainable development.
Hence, for you to know what you must do at the minimum before,
during, and after a disaster, read the latest version of the DILG-LGA’s
Operation LISTO: Disaster Preparedness Manual for City and Municipal
LGUs. The manual provides a checklist for your early preparedness
actions and critical preparedness actions before and during
emergencies. The Checklist of Early Preparedness Actions discusses
the minimum responsibilities and task of the LCE on the following:
• Creating and institutionalizing structures, systems, policies, and
plans;
• Building competencies of your LDRRMC and personnel for
DRR-CCA; and
• Mobilizing resources for effective emergency response.
The Checklist of Critical Preparedness Actions for Mayors serves as a

guide for what the Mayor, together with the LDRRMC, should do when
there is an imminent hazard. Alongside the Operation LISTO Disaster
Preparedness Manual, you may also read the content of the National
Disaster Preparedness Plan Minimum Standards Volume II. This material
also serves as a guide on what preparedness actions the LGUs must
undertake in accordance with the National Disaster Preparedness Plan.
Convene the LDRRMC and instruct them to conduct a climate and

disaster risk assessment and update and develop your LDRRMP and
Local Climate Change Action Plan based on the results of the risk
assessments.
61
In your first 100 days, you may discuss with your BDRRMCs the QAS for
the BDRRMP.
8. Implement doable commitments

You have to develop initiatives quickly if you are to prove that you can
deliver. Your promises in the recent elections should be elevated to your
administration’s platform then translated into programs. Select from
among your commitments those that can be implemented in six months.
See where and how you can harmonize these commitments with the
2019 AIP. If you promised faster and better services in the municipal
hall, you may start on your computerization activities if the budget
allows. On the other hand, more traditional options can include the
construction of roads, cleanliness of parks, markets and other public
places, aid to barangays, etc.
MAKE YOUR THREE-YEAR AGENDA
When you assume office, you bring with you your development agenda.
However, it is likely that there is already an existing development vision,
mission, and goals that encompass your term and beyond. Reviewing
the two sets of development agenda will enable you to assess how
close or far apart they are from each other. Specifically, you will be able
to determine if the existing development vision is consistent with your
own, and hence can be easily integrated, or if the former needs to be
reformulated or revised to be in harmony with your own. Essentially, you
want to let the people know your development agenda, get it done with
the participation of the people, and be known for your development
legacy in the municipality.
Your agenda should be readily understandable and one which the

people can quickly identify with. Keep it short to about 3-4 priorities.
This will keep everything in perspective since you only have to set
specific goals. The basic idea in agenda-setting is you start with the big
picture and work your way through the details to ensure that the day-
to-day things you do relate to that big picture.
1. Discuss your plan to revisit the LGU’s existing development
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Plan and Budget
vision, mission and goals with the: (a) executive team, (b) SB,
and (c) NGOs, CSOs, and POs;
2. Form a group with representatives from different sectors that
will prepare a plan for a multisectoral consultation. Designate
the Office of the MPDC as the secretariat;
3. Once the plan is in place, call for a multisectoral assembly
to undertake a strategic planning exercise in preparation for
the crafting of a three-year development plan. There can be a
series of small group meetings by different sectors to tackle
the details of the three-year plan;
4. Designate the Office of the MPDC to prepare the draft three-
year development plan from the proceedings and minutes of all
the meetings conducted for the purpose;
5. Call for another multisectoral assembly to present the draft
three-year development plan;
6. Submit the proposed three-year development plan to the SB for
its adoption through a resolution;
7. Sign the resolution adopting the three-year development plan;
and
8. Submit the three-year development plan to the Provincial
Governor for review and integration in the provincial
development plan.
Remember, the first step is coming up with a situational analysis that

reveals local issues and needs. Without reliable data, your plan will not
be guided properly, and the resulting perceived issues and needs may
not be based on real conditions. After the analysis, you weave your way
to visioning, priority-setting, and targeting. Thereafter, you may proceed
to designing the programs, outlining strategies, and determining
timelines. These are the key steps that the multisectoral groups will
have to undertake to come up with the development plan.
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15
Take charge of
the local budget
One of the critical areas a Mayor deals with is the budget process. The
budget conveys a statement of what you intend to do and what the
priorities of your administration are. You can view the budget as a plan
expressed in financial figures that sets down the operating program for
the year. In this case, a budget can show in part the level of services,
activities, and projects of the municipality and the unit cost of each. The
budget process is not limited to the submission of budget proposals;
it is also about revenue estimation since the estimated amount can
determine the maximum level of services the LGU can provide, the bulk
of resources necessary to deliver each service, and insights on possible
arrangements to lower the cost of service, such as partnering with the
private sector.
The Municipal Budgeting process is divided into four phases: budget

preparation for 2020, budget authorization, budget review, and budget
execution. During your first 100 days in office, your focus will be on
budget preparation encompassing the formulation of income and
expenditure projections, budget proposals per department, and budget
document to be submitted to the SB. Before submitting the executive
budget to the Sanggunian, see to it that the budget includes adequate
funding for CC adaptation and DRRM.
RECOMMENDED COURSES OF ACTION
1. On or before July 15, 2022 and every year after that, the
LGU carries out the following steps:
• The LFC recommends to the Mayor the income projection
and expenditure ceiling for five major sectoral or functional
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Plan and Budget
classification of expenditures for the ensuing year based on the

following documents:
› Information about the share of the municipality in the IRA
and from the national wealth; and
› Certification from the municipal treasurer on the following:
1. statement of income and expenditures of the preceding
year; 2. actual income and expenditures of the first two
quarters of the current year; and 3. estimated income and
expenditures of the last two quarters of the year.
• The Municipal Mayor issues a budget call to the department
heads. The budget call is a municipal directive for the
department heads to submit their budget proposals by July 15.
Since this is usually issued in May or June by the incumbent
Mayor at that time, you cannot issue a new budget call but can
review the earlier issuance in connection with the development
goals you want to be incorporated in the budget for the ensuing
year. You can get a copy of the budget call from the Records
Office in your office or the MB Office.
• Each department head shall submit his or her department’s
budget proposal to the Municipal Mayor.
2. After July 15, the following steps will be carried out:

• The MB Officer will review the budget proposals of the
different departments following the budgetary guidelines or
expenditure ceiling set forth by the Municipal Mayor.
• He or she will discuss with and recommend to the concerned
department heads the necessary adjustments, modifications,
and corrections to be entered.
• The Municipal Mayor schedules budget hearing/s wherein each
department head will present and justify his or her budget
proposal.
• After the budget hearing/s, the MB Office shall consolidate all
the budget proposals as revised.
65
3. On or before October 16, the Mayor shall submit the

executive budget or budget document to the SB for
review and authorization.
In form and content, the executive budget or budget document is
divided into two parts: income and total appropriations earmarked for
current operating expenditures and capital outlays. It consists of the
following components:
• Budget message which conveys the significance of the
executive budget in relation to the fulfillment of the local
development plan;
• Summary of the functions, projects, and activities needed
for the efficient and effective delivery of the basic services
required under the LGC;
• Summary of financial statements encompassing the following:
› Actual income and expenditures for the preceding year;
› Actual income and expenditures for the first two
quarters of the current year and estimated income and
expenditures for the last two quarters of the current year;
› Estimate of income for the ensuing fiscal year;
› Estimate of expenditures for the ensuing fiscal year;
› Bonded and other long-term obligations and indebtedness,
if any;
› Summary statement of all statutory and contractual
obligations due; and
› Other related financial statements or data that will
disclose the fiscal condition of the municipality.
66
16 Spread the word
As you have noticed, there is too much preoccupation in the

first 100 days of office that people are expecting to hear of your
accomplishments after this short period. Tell them about the things you
were able to do during this crucial time so they know you have been
doing your job since day one.
PREPARE AN ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT OF YOUR

FIRST 100 DAYS IN OFFICE
Accomplishments are hard to identify if not correctly documented.
Accomplishments do not simply come in the form of concrete programs
such as infrastructure projects; these may also be in the form of
the community’s level of satisfaction with your service. Indicators
are needed though in presenting both soft and hard successes. In
preparing an accomplishment report, you should:
1. Request all municipal departments and offices to submit
progress and accomplishment reports for the period. You
should compare these reports to the office targets.
2. From these documents, come up with a rundown of initiatives
and activities per sector (social services, economic services,
governance, etc.). Specify the number of beneficiaries, unit
cost per service, and barangays served, among others. Ask
the department heads to prepare a short write-up about the
programs.
3. If you are confident with your undertakings in the period, take
testimonies from key stakeholders, such as your partners
from the business sectors, CSO groups, and LSB members.
You may also send a short satisfaction survey form to these
67
organizations and request them to fill it out. Include the

testimonies and findings in the report.
4. Instruct your IO to coordinate with the departments in coming
up with the accomplishment report. Finalize it in a slim booklet
form that is easy-to-read and understand.
Disseminate the accomplishment report through the

following channels:
• Newsletters highlighting some of the critical programs and
benefits, and the improvements in the operations of the
municipal government;
• Press releases sent to the media (newsprint and local radio
stations);
• Posting of a copy of the report on the municipal bulletin board;
• Mini-poster highlighting the key points in the report, which will
be posted in or near conspicuous places in the locality such as
the plaza, colleges and universities, and the church; and
• Sending copies of the booklet accomplishment report
to organizations and groups, such as CSOs, chamber of
commerce, vendors’ association, and barangay councils.
68
17 TAke a break
If you have reached this part after going through all that preceded this,
then congratulations on two things: (1) you have it in you to become a
good Mayor because you admitted by reading this document that you
do not know everything, and (2) you deserve a break.
Why take a break? The mayoralty post is a 24-hour job both in and
outside the municipal hall, though supposedly you are to have office
work only from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. In the first 100 days, you will feel the
pressure of proving your worth as the LCE. Only after the first few days,
you may find your responsibilities overwhelming. You may feel that time
is running so fast, and have so much left to do.
Your commitment to public office should not negate your personal,

mental, and physical well-being. You can avoid getting burned out by
taking a break.
Your first 100 days may either be a nightmare, a cause for celebration to
you, or both simultaneously. Whatever the case, relish your experience
and gear up for the rest of your term. Nurture your well-being: spend
quality time with the people who matter most to you, pursue your
hobbies whenever reasonable.
Cutting back on your personal hours will not make you a better Mayor,
but finding harmony in your public service work and your personal
service will.
69
ABOUT THE LOGO
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)

implements the Program for Newly-Elected Officials (NEO),
through the Local Government Academy (LGA), to assist newly
elected Local Chief Executives (LCEs) in transitioning to their
posts, taking responsibilities, and managing their respective
LGUs. The program consistently intends to assist NEOs in
developing their leadership and transformational capacities.
The Program for NEO primarily aims to develop newly elected

officials to be strategic leaders who will guide their local
governments towards being more competitive, efficient, and
responsive development institutions. It is composed of five (5)
components; the first two components aim to aid incoming local
officials to ensure smooth transition in their LGUs; and jumpstart
local governance upon NEOs’ assumption to office, and until the
end of their terms. The third component is intended to support
the LGUs in developing, enhancing or updating their local plans.
The fourth component is composed of interventions to further
enhance competencies not only of the elected officials, but also
of local functionaries. Finally, the last component aims to assist
LGUs for their assessment, and be eligible for LGU awards and
incentives.
Anchored on the six (6) LGU Capacity Pillars i.e., Structure,

Competency, Leadership, Management Systems, Enabling
Policies and Knowledge and Learning, the program envisions to
71
contribute to better quality of life among constituents of local
governments as a result of improved leadership and decision-
making skills of the newly-elected officials.
The logo takes its cue from the program’s new focus on peace
and resilience, articulated visually in the elements that build the
lettermark itself. The letter N is an abstraction of two individuals
forming a union, which affirms the communal character of peace
and resilience-building that requires a whole-of-nation approach.
Meanwhile, the letter E is a visual metaphor to resilience, for
the bamboo will not cease to stand tall and still even when
the strongest wind tires it out. Though often ascribed to how
Filipinos bounce back stronger in the context of disasters, the
metaphor remains potent in peace-building especially with the
grit and indomitable spirit of Filipinos to choose hope during
periods of threats and violence. Lastly, the letter O contains a
globe insignia to elicit a global character of excellence being
pursued in local leadership and governance through the Program
for NEO. It also depicts a pair of hands below the globe to evoke
a sense of goodwill, support, and care.
72
Local Government Academy
Department of the Interior and Local Government
2nd, 8th, and 9th Floors, Agustin I Building
F. Ortigas Jr. Road, Ortigas Center
Pasig City 1605, Philippines
Tel. No. (632) 8634-8430 / 8634-8436
www.lga.gov.ph

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6TH

CRITICAL STEPS FOR THE

FIRST 100 DAYS

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be retyped,

ISBN No. (Print)

Printed and bound in Manila, Philippines

first 100 days

First of all, let me extend my warmest congratulations to you!

Dir. Thelma T. Vecina, CESO IV

IV PLAN & BUDGET

Using this guidebook

The first phase is the Transition. This phase covers the

The second phase is Mobilization. This occurs primarily between

By virtue of your success in the elections, you offered your services to

• What are the specific duties of a Municipal Mayor?

Familiarity with your tasks and deliverables is key to being an

READ, READ, READ

Be sure to acquaint yourself with the pertinent sections of Republic Act

Books and publications on local governance, leadership, administration,

To enhance your capacity to contribute to Climate Change (CC)

RA No. 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction

This mandates the establishment of a Disaster Risk Reduction and

Section 11 states that the existing Provincial, City, and Municipal

The LDRRMC shall include but not be limited to the following:

4. Local Social Welfare and Development Office (LSWDO) Head -

The LDRRMCs shall have the following functions:

3. Recommend the implementation of forced or preemptive

R.A. No 9729 or the Climate Change Act of 2009

Turn your attention to Section 14 of the law:

• “The LGUs shall be the frontline agencies in the formulation,

R.A. No. 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste

Section 12 provides: “Each city or municipality shall form a City or

of solid waste generated in areas under its geographic and political

“The City or Municipal SWMB shall be composed of the City or

• One (1) representative of the Sangguniang Bayan (SB),

R.A. No. 10831 or the Children’s Emergency Relief and

This mandates the provision of emergency relief and protection for

• DILG MC No. 2012-35 dated February 21, 2012 on Disaster

• DBM-CCC-DILG JMC No. 2015-01 issued July 2015 on revised

ATTEND SHORT COURSES ON LOCAL GOVERNANCE

Short courses offer a wide array of topics related to local governance

PARTICIPATE IN LAKBAY-ARAL ACTIVITIES

Participating in lakbay-aral activities in municipalities that introduced

BE PARTICULAR IN DEALING OUT YOUR OFFICIAL AND

Distinguishing between your official and ceremonial roles will help

As a newly elected official, it is best that you ensure a smooth transition

IDENTIFY POSSIBLE MEMBERS AND ORGANIZE THE

1. They should have the expertise you can draw upon.

Who are to be the members then? The following are suggested

• Legal adviser for policy and legal concerns;

Suggested Composition of the Team

It is your option to consider other members of your

GET INFORMATION AND DOCUMENTS

boundary and facility maps, and new ordinances passed. Accessing

ANALYZE AND ADVISE

the organizational chart, personnel inventory, and roster of

else can take care of the nitty-gritty aspect of it, which

The Office of the Mayor is like a sala or living room in a house. It

The Office of the Mayor is an activity hub. Almost daily, it receives

A Mayor’s typical day is hectic as he or she is attending to different

CLARIFY YOUR WORKING STYLE

Think of it in terms of the functions and decision-making authority you

Other questions you might want to ask yourself: